Time to GET IN SHAPE!!

I just completed my third week of going to Gold's Gym. And let me tell you... you know you're overweight when you're doing situps and you can feel your neck (i.e. fat around your neck) move with each up and down movement.

Anyway.... it's long overdue... I'm WAY out of shape, and I didn't lose NEAR the weight that I usually lose over the summer. I'll blame it ALL on being 41 (that's very shallow and Laurie will DEFINITELY disagree with me... especially considering what she looks like... HUBBA HUBBA!!)

Anyway AGAIN... I started going three times a week the first week of October. I never thought I'd belong to a gym, but... I LOVE IT. GREAT variety of equipment (cardio, nautilus and free weights), aerobics room (I probably won't be in there much... but, Laurie might be), gymnasium, pool (although, it's down for 6-8 weeks for repairs). The first month I'll be going 3-days a week; half the workout is cardio and the other half strength. When the pool is open I'll be using it the other two days... until then I'll add a lighter cardio only workout one day and a lighter strength workout the other day, with more stretching exercises each day.

And can I just say... some of the guys in there are HUGE!!! Of course, that's NOT what I'm going for (Oh, can you imagine??? .... Hmmmmmmm....

HA HA HA HA!!!!

Ok, THAT isn't going to happen...

Mister Tumnus

It took a few days, but we finally all agreed on a name for our new silky terrier puppy...

Mister Tumnus

I had no idea it would be as difficult as it was to decide. Well, not decide, but to AGREE. Several names were put out for vote from all of us, but when Mister Tumnus was mentioned... it was an immediate yes by everyone. Although, Savannah disagreed first thing the next morning after we decided... because she preferred the name "Puppy." :') So, we told her that she could keep calling him "Puppy" for as long as she wanted. Of course, that lasted all of a few hours and she was calling him Tumnus like the rest of us.

Now the real question... does everyone know where the name "Mister Tumnus" came from???? I want guesses... Comment below with your guess.

We've all been enjoying his presence in our home. Training is going ok... a few accidents inside now and then, but not too bad (although, Laurie might give a different opinion some days). Nights have been going ok, but yesterday we bought him a new crate for our bedroom to have him sleep up there. We were bringing his daytime crate upstairs and he had been doing well. But, last night was rather difficult for him. With his new crate I bought a bed to put inside of it... and of course 11:30 p.m. was the first he'd layed on it inside the new crate. So, it didn't go too well. We've let him lay on the bed portion around the house all day today so get his "smell" on it. Hopefully tonight will much better... especially since Laurie isn't home tonight.

We find it interesting the many different positions that Tumnus likes to sleep while he's laying around... I don't think I've ever actually seen a dog that sleeps literally on his back, but Tumnus does:

There has been a little problem with nipping at the feet & toes... especially with Savannah. Let me make that more clear... Savannah isn't doing the nipping, Tumnus is. Anyway... he is a puppy and he wants to play, so he goes after what is at his level... feet and the bottom of pantlegs. The more flared or wide your pant legs the more attracted he is to them. He's just playing, but try to explain that to a 5-year old who has just had some very sharp little teeth attach themselves to her toes, heel or pantleg.

Most popular words you'll hear in our house right now?

1. "No!"
2. "Down!"
3. "No!"
4. "Potty?"
5. "No!"
6. "Sit."
7. "No!"

Napping again

It doesn't take much space for Tumnus to get comfortable - here he uses the corner of a warm blanket hanging off the couch :-)

Sunday afternoon nap

Nothing like napping on a Sunday afternoon during a Bears game,
upside down :-) That seems to be Tumnus' favorite position for naps on my lap.

The Last Rose Of Summer :-(

Flower smelling

Stopping to smell the flowers after going poo:-)

Andrew's A "White Belt"

Tonight was Andrew's first "official" taekwondo class... and he earned his first belt - white. :)

Eastview's sports ministry started a Taekwondo Club... it is being led by a 6th degree black belt who has taught taekwondo for 20+ years. He and his wife own Victory Academy here in Bloomington that offers taekwondo, gymnastics, dance and cheerleading.

Andrew is thrilled about learning taekwondo... the first step in his dream to become a "Jedi" :')

Savannah will be continuing her ballet training at Victory Academy this next week. She's excited about the change and is especially excited that it will be ballet only (no more tap).

New Family Member

Welcome our newest family member...

He doesn't have a name yet, but I'm sure Andrew & Savannah won't let him go long without one.

He's a Silky Terrier (closely related to a Yorkshire Terrier & Australian Terrier). Hopefully this will be a much better experience than with Bella in the spring. Andrew still thanks God for Bella every night in his bedtime prayer.

She seemed to bond pretty quickly with the kids and gladly snuggled with Laurie on the couch... something we never let Bella do because she shed so bad.

The "name game" has already begun, but nothing has been mentioned by the kids that's "it" (Aaron, Zach, Puppa...). I have a feeling Laurie and I will have to throw out some names to them, too. Maybe something from Star Wars or Cinderella.